Novellas Are REAL Books, Dammit! And Contest

Welcome Guest Blogger Elizabeth Black

I read a wonderful post by Regina Carlysle about novellas [http://threewickedwriters.blogspot.com/2011/06/when-you-head-into-bookstore-or-online.html] and I had to chime in. I have always felt comfortable with stories of about 10K – 20K words – novella length. The problem was a decade ago before e-books came along publishers were very reluctant to publish a novella unless you were already a well-known author. Some of my favorite stories are novellas, but they were written by well-known authors like Stephen King and H. P. Lovecraft. A novella from an unknown author? Not gonna happen. The reason was related to acceptances and sales. A novella in an anthology – and that's where I wanted to sub mine – took up the space of about two or three short stories. Also readers at that time were more likely to buy novels rather than shorter stand-alone works. Unless you were Stephen King.

Then e-books came along. I noticed nearly all online e-book romance and erotica publishers accepted novellas. In fact, some of them preferred novellas. Readers liked the shorter stories for reasons Regina gave. Women lead busy lives these days; much busier than they were a decade ago. Work, kids, business travel, long hours, long commutes, play dates, school, family, grocery shopping, church, cleaning house, tending to husbands, the list goes on. Reading a novel is a luxury these days so shorter works have been welcomed.

Good! I like writing novellas. I can expand a short story to make it more fun and interesting. And I'm not bogged down with a novel. In fact, I prefer novellas. Some novels I've read strike me as being far too full of filler. Chop all that filler out and you have a fast and exciting read. And it's a novella!

My story Purr is novella-length. It's an erotic retelling of Puss In Boots, and it's the perfect taste of decadence. I'm also hosting a contest.

Want to win a FREE SEX TOY? :)

I'm giving away two sex toys, one for a man and one for a woman. To win, purchase PURR and e-mail me your proof of purchase. E-mail your proof of purchase to trishcwilson AT comcast DOT net. That puts you in the running. Contest runs until July 31, 2011. I'll select the winner on August 1st, 2011.

Name: Elizabeth Black
Title: Purr (Based on "Puss In Boots")
Publisher: New Dawning Bookfair
Genre: Twisted Fairy Tale
Size: Short Story
ASIN: B005407APY
Cost: $2.99

Buy Links:

New Dawning Bookfair: http://tinyurl.com/purr-ndb

Amazon Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/purr-kindle

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/63792

AllRomanceEBooks: http://www.blogger.com/goog_58534012

Blurb:

Muca was a kitty with a little something extra. Not your ordinary Puss In Boots, she shifted into human form to entice all she met. She aspired for her master to become the richest and most respected man in the land, but her job was cut out for her. He was but a lowly cobbler whom she tried to pass off as the Marquis of Carabas in order to convince the local farmers to trust her against a cruel ogre who tormented them. Would the farmers believe her, and would they find her charms as alluring as she found theirs?

For more information, go to this link:

http://elizabethablack.blogspot.com/2011/06/contest-buy-purr-and-win-free-sex-toy.html